


Harringrove Minific Grab Bag

by Antarc



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Established Relationship, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26218117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarc/pseuds/Antarc
Summary: A collection of my shorter harringrove tumblr posts.Additional warnings added to chapter notes. Most of this is fluff, though!
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	1. one inch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the tiniest of height difference can be so much fun to think about!

Once Billy and Steve are on better terms, Steve sometimes gets a little cocky about that one inch he’s got over Billy. It’s not always noticeable, because Steve just tends to slouch a lot and Billy has… a big personality. He’s loud and charming and pushes his way to the front and center wherever he goes. It’s very familiar to Steve, because he used to spend a lot of effort on capturing people’s attention, in a way Billy never seems to struggle with.

But he’s still taller. Just a little bit. And when Billy gets all up in his face, teeth bared in a slightly mean, teasing smile and a taunting “Too scared to come with me?” on his lips (because the weirdo can’t ask like a normal person if Steve wants to go to a concert with him), Steve can’t help but straighten up a little.

Because even with Billy’s heavy boots adding a tiny bit of extra height, that’s all it takes for Steve to have to flick his gaze down to look into his eyes. He always enjoys the blush that spreads on Billy’s cheeks in response.

Sometimes, when they hang out at Steve’s and want to get food and drinks from the kitchen, he likes to shuffle up to Billy’s side where he’s about to get a glass from the upper cupboard. Tell him “Let me get that for you,” as if Billy couldn’t reach that far by himself. Likes the way Billy’s eyes widen a little and how he starts sputtering about not being one of Steve’s kids.

And sometimes, when they fall asleep next to each other on the couch and Billy has a nightmare, Steve likes to pull his sleepy form against his chest and tuck Billy’s head with his surprisingly soft curls underneath his chin.


	2. kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you ever think about how steve harrington canonically smiles into his kisses?? hellow??

Steve likes kissing. Really, really likes it. When he was with Nancy, even the girls before her, he’d gladly use any moment of spare time as an opportunity to make out. And that doesn’t change once he’s with Billy.

He loves the lead-up to it, just getting closer and closer to Billy’s face and pushing against his body until he can feel the body heat through Billy’s flimsy shirt through the hand he winds around his back. Loves the way Billy’s own warm hands land on Steve’s hip and the back of his neck, playing with Steve’s hair. Loves to trace the blush underneath Billy’s freckles if he looks a bit too long (has it on good authority that he looks like a besotted fool when he’s in love). The lead-up sets the mood- and there’s really no ‘bad’ mood for kissing, in Steve’s opinion. 

Sometimes they’re pissed at each other and kiss with too much teeth, hands gripping too hard at shoulders and backs, tugging at clothes as if they’re halfway into a wrestling match. It’s thrilling, blows off some steam until they start to slow down. 

Sometimes, it’s just a quick kiss to say hello or good-bye in their shared apartment. A stolen moment in the car before work. Casual, sweet. Steve counts the seconds in his head, just so he can commit the slow drag of Billy’s lips against his into his memory for the rest of the day. To tide him over, until the next time. He knows now, that he gets a bit clingy. Gets a bit over-excited every time they get back together, even though they’re no longer teenagers and no longer in Hawkins. Billy is clean-shaven in the morning before work. All smooth cheeks and fresh smell of aftershave and his favorite perfume. In the evening, there’s the rough drag of light stubble, the smell of his Marlboros clinging to his clothes and a hint of sweat.

Steve’s favorite times are the ones when they’re both a bit sleepy. Halfway to undressed, languid roll of their bodies against each other. Legs intertwined, hands roaming over bare skin. When they’re on the couch or in bed, no hurry to be anywhere else. When they started dating, Billy thought that every make out session would inevitably have to lead to sex. Often it does. But frequently, it just goes on and on, until they’re both dizzy and warm, lips swollen and spit-slick and beard burn on both of their necks.


	3. phone lecture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> steve's mom unsuccessfully calling to make him feel bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor content warning for implied alcoholism and emotional abuse/child neglect

She only calls to check up on him when she’s drunk. The phone rings at two AM where he’s drifted off on the couch, head on Billy’s shoulder, blanket keeping them warm and cozy. Instinctively, he knows that it’s her. His parents are on another trip across the Atlantic, supposedly for a conference in Frankfurt that sounds like it’s going to shape into an ‘impromptu’ vacation. Steve’s pretty sure most of the spontaneous trips and vacations his parents take are actually planned well in advance. Orchestrated by his mom to fill any downtime his dad’s schedule allows with ‘quality couple time’ or whatever bullshit excuse she uses to justify keeping his dad too occupied to have another affair.

Sometimes he wishes he could just pretend to sleep through the loud ring of the telephone. It echoes through the hallway, an unavoidable, familiar sound that has him up, across the living room, into the kitchen and holding the phone to his ear in record time. He doesn’t like the late-night calls. His bare feet are already getting cold on the kitchen tiles. His back stiffens.

There’s not many rules in the Harrington household anymore. Haven’t been for a long time, since his parents realized Steve’s biggest achievements would be in school sports and not academia. Who the fuck cares, as long as he (barely) passes his classes and the house stays as pristine as his parents want it to look, right? They have a cleaning service to pick up his slack.

The phone calls are non-negotiable, though. If he’s home (and he better be), he will pick up. 

“Stevie, my boy,” his mom’s voice greets him on the other end. Makes his stomach clench with anxiety. 

“Hey mom.”

“How have you been? Do you like your new job? How’s your head?” She doesn’t give him the opportunity to respond. Words slurred, she just barrels on. “Your father was at his conference all day, so I got the chance to catch up a bit with Mrs. Baker. She told me about the most curious thing she saw!” Dread pools in Steve’s stomach. It’s one of those conversations, then. 

The other big rule is to not make his parents look bad and there’s different levels to what constitutes ‘bad’. His mom calling about whatever gossip she picked up is like the calm before the storm. A warning sign, that whatever he says to his defense will be relayed to his father.

There’s a pause, like she expects him to ask what she’s going to scold him for in just a moment. He refuses to play into it and stays silent. 

She sighs against the receiver, makes the other end go a bit static with the force of the airflow. He’s no longer ten or fifteen anymore, but it sure feels like it when the disappointment is almost palpable through the phone line.

“Alright then.” The shock at how fast his mother can switch tones, from happy drunk to stern concern never loses its impact on Steve. Raises his hackles instinctively and makes him completely freeze up in response. “Sarah told me she saw you driving around town with the Hargrove boy. Is that true?”

“Yeah- yes.”

“Steve. There’s certain people in Hawkins you shouldn’t be seen with. It’s just irresponsible.”

Steve nods along. It’s two AM and he’s on the phone in the kitchen, familiar sound of his mother’s drunken lecture in his ear while he starts shivering, because the tiles seem to sap all the heat from his body. 

It’s September and Billy has been out of the hospital for only a few weeks. The government people have put him into an apartment that sucks, where he has to walk way too much just to get basic groceries. All because they need to keep him under supervision while he recovers. So Steve drives him around. To the grocery store and the apothecary. To the inconspicuous office building a makeshift government lab has been set up in. Billy has reluctantly started scheduling his doctors appointments around Steve’s shifts.

And yeah, they’ve been doing these movie nights at Steve’s home. Because they both hate being alone at night. Because they can make out on the couch and sleep in Steve’s bed and take things slow and careful while Billy feels a little more human again with every day that passes.

He’s sure his mom has heard through the gossip grapevine how badly Billy got hurt. Even if it was just the official coverup story.

And now she wants Steve to ‘stop associating with him’. Because apparently Billy Hargrove is the wrong kind of people to hang out with. The thought of what constitutes as the ‘right’ kind of people makes fury rise up in Steve, makes heat rise to his cheeks and ears.

Behind him, he can hear shuffling footsteps.

“You know what, mom?” he says, voice shivery and furious. For all of the shit he’s been through that she and his father haven’t been around for. For the way she’s trying to make him throw away the one person who he feels safe to be with. “Maybe I’m just as much the type of person you shouldn’t be seen with.”

It feels good to say it out loud. It’s also scary, to know he can’t take it back.

There’s warm pressure against his back and arms wrapped around him. Billy’s chin on his shoulder, like he’s a blanket that’s gonna warm Steve right up again. He tells the stunned silence on the other end of the line a quiet good-bye. Turns around and hugs Billy as hard as his still healing torso allows.


	4. bless the telephone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> long distance relationship, heavily inspired by Labi Siffre's Bless the Telephone (which I immediately imagined from Billy's POV)

It’s Thursday morning and Steve stands under the shower, washing his hair and already feeling giddy excitement start to build. He gets out of the stall, brushes his teeth, shaves and styles his hair. Smiles at his own reflection. Primps a bit more than usual and has to burst out of his apartment so he can still make it in time to the office.

Time slows down in the hours leading up to lunchtime. During his apprenticeship, Steve got a good glimpse into the tedium of office work, but splitting his time between trade school and work still had nothing on an entire, uninterrupted work day. It’s funny, but he almost misses studying. 

Time stretches into eternity as he works through in-office mail and any new documents coming in. Stretches and stretches until it snaps when he finally, finally hits his lunch break. He almost knocks over his pen holder in his excitement when he gets up. Beams at Clarice’s judging glare, as he rushes by her on his way out.

They both don’t have a lot of time during the week. Steve works nine to five now, which leaves him with barely enough time or energy to get all his regular chores done. Plus, now that he’s finally reached a ‘socially acceptable’ stage in his career and has become once again ‘presentable’ according to his dad’s standards, there’s all these work dinners, golf and tennis games he’s expected to attend. Not to mention the weekly trip to the bar his office does. 

And at the same time, Billy is also busy. If he’s not attending his college classes, he’s at his job or at the library. There’s a three hour time difference they have to work around.

But they manage to find the time. Keep their schedules free for specific days. Make their breaks line up, like today. It’s lunchtime for Steve, but it’s still breakfast time for Billy, who won’t have to leave for class just yet.

There haven’t been as many perks to being the CEO’s son as Steve would have assumed. He probably gets a slightly better salary, but his workload and responsibilities are very much the same as everyone else’s would be in this position. What he does have, however, is access to his dad’s secret not-so-secret lounge. Where his dad only entertains guests in the evenings, making it free to use during Steve’s lunch. They’ve shared a midday scotch there on Steve’s twenty-first birthday and that’s it.

Even though they won’t be able to see each other, he still takes a moment to fix his hair. Then he sinks into the supple leather of his favorite couch in the lounge, grabs the telephone and dials his favorite number, long since memorized. Waits for the dial tone to get interrupted by the click on the other end and then Billy’s deep voice is in his ear. 

“Hey Billy,” he can’t contain the smile, hopes Billy can hear it in his voice. 

“Hey pretty boy,” comes the familiar greeting in return, making Steve flush. There’s the sound of a guitar string being plucked on the other end.

“Oh, did I interrupt you practicing?”

“No, no,” Billy’s laugh comes out almost shy. “I was waiting for your call and figured I’d work on a song.”

Steve closes his eyes, leans his head back against the couch. Wishes he could be sitting next to Billy, instead of being stuck in Indy while Billy gets his degree at SFSU. But they’ve managed so far. Steve’s contract will be up for renewal (or quitting) around the same time Billy finishes his degree. They’re already in the process of looking for where they want to move together.

“Tell me about it.”


	5. Hüftgold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay okay okay, how about. post!Mindflayer chunky Billy?

After weeks in the hospital, Billy still can’t work out as hard for quite a while during recovery and loses a lot of muscle mass, slims down a lot and just feels all hollowed out from being possessed and unable to move or enjoy life while he heals.

He and Steve get together and he moves into the apartment Steve got after he realized he can’t let Billy go back to live with Neil, while his own parents wouldn’t allow him to have Billy live at their house either. So he got his own little place set up, with secondhand furniture he transported one by one with his car. Got a little help from Nancy and Joyce with figuring out the basic stuff he needs for a small household. Max salvaged a bunch of Billy’s clothes, his jewelry and music. Dustin and Robin gave very non-helpful advice on the decor.

And Billy is still feeling weak and crappy, so Steve starts to learn cooking, because his boyfriend needs to have homecooked meals!! Even if he pretty much has to learn everything from scratch. Maybe Billy joins in, helps cutting veggies, peels potatoes while they listen to the radio or talk about Steve’s day at Family Video or Billy’s attempts at fixing the camaro. 

On Saturdays, Steve spends the entire afternoon on the phone with his grandma, who guides him step-by-step through family recipes. It’s all very homely and delicious. Peaceful and cozy.

So Billy puts on some weight, thin shoulders becoming broad again, with a squishy tummy and thick thighs. He starts lifting weights again, takes it slow and is rewarded with feeling so much more comfortable and safe in his own body. Like he truly rebuilt himself, with the care and safety of being loved and the knowledge that he gets to live and be free from the nightmare.

***

Was just thinking about Billy and Steve cuddling on the couch, watching a movie while they wait for the roast Steve has tried for the first time to finish (he underestimated how long it would take in their shitty oven, so the wait for dinner got extended for an hour). Billy jokes to Steve “You’re turning into a real Stepford wife.” and Steve claps a hand onto Billy’s soft belly and cheerfully says “I don’t see you complaining!”

***

Steve isn’t a small dude by any means. Hell, he’s even a tiny bit taller than Billy! Still, even at his softest he’s still lanky and all long arms and legs. Billy, meanwhile, goes from pale and starving to practically glowing. Glowing skin and hair that grows back thick and dark blonde, with soft, natural waves in it. A glowing smile when he looks at Steve. 

Billy gets this growing, much more silent, strong confidence in himself that straightens his spine and broadens his stance. Like he’s always braced for a wave. He’s ready and he knows he can take on whatever comes his way. (Most of the time, it’s all good things.)

When they’re both tired and lazy, he likes to lie down between Steve’s legs, cover his whole chest and lets Steve massage his shoulders and play with his hair. Let’s his weight press Steve down into the couch or their bed and keep him there- safe and warm.


	6. latenight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> post s3, billy survives the mindflayer. neil is still awful. steve is the softest of boyfriends, you can't change my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning for mentions of Neil being an abusive asshole, but nothing graphic

Steve gets a call ten minutes after he arrives at his apartment from his shift at Family Video. It’s the middle of the night and he’s not surprised that it’s Billy- but he is shocked to hear that he’s at a gas station at the edge of town, that his dad dropped him off there to walk home in the darkness. And Billy just. can’t.

His voice is hesitant on the other end of the line, his “Can you come pick me up?” sounds so tentative. As if he expects Steve to get mad at him for calling this late. 

And Steve knows that it took a lot for Billy to have made this call. That Billy has memorized when Steve’s shift ends and when he gets back home, so he’s definitely been waiting for a while at the gas station. The doctor’s appointment was in the afternoon. Steve knows Billy is stubborn enough that he probably would try to walk home in the cold, dark night, if he wasn’t still recovering. If he wasn’t terrified of what might be lurking in Hawkins’ woods. But he straight up doesn’t have the energy for long walks.

Even though Neil knows this, was supposed to pick Billy up from his doctor’s appointment and drive him directly home. But it’s Neil. And Neil is an asshole on a good day and a real bastard on a less good one. He probably took one look at Billy and decided he didn’t like his ‘attitude’, regardless of how Billy actually acted.

So Steve, barely changed into a comfy, dark blue sweater and his hair in disarray, stupid glasses on his nose, gets back into his car and drives to the other side of town. Hawkins has two gas stations: The shitty one with nothing but knock-off brand sweets and a pervasive smell of piss emanating from the side of the building. And the less shitty one, where thankfully Billy is waiting under neon lights, buried in his softest dark hoodie.

He gets into Steve’s car without a word, shivering and tired looking. Doesn’t acknowledge when Steve cranks up the heat and doesn’t comment on the fact that Steve doesn’t even bother to drive towards Cherry Lane and takes them straight back to his apartment instead.

Only when the door is closed behind them, the world outside far away and their bodies close in the darkness of the hallway does Steve slowly take Billy’s face in his hands. He’s still so thin, all sharp cheekbones and exhausted eyes. Steve feels the stubble on Billy’s jaw under his fingers and carefully leans closer. Leans in, until Billy closes his tired eyes and allows Steve to kiss his forehead. Softly kisses one eyelid and then the other. Kisses the bags under Billy’s eyes, mirroring Steve’s own. Steve rubs their noses together, waits until Billy opens his eyes to look at him again, sides a little wet.

Steve knows that Billy is stubborn. He takes a while to accept affection that’s a bit too tender for his comfort zone, even though he craves it. And Steve craves it, too. Wants to be kind to Billy, wants Billy to be kind to him as well. He’s so grateful for every time that it gets a bit easier for Billy to let Steve in and to touch him back. 

There’s a very small smile forming on Billy’s lips as his hands reach out to cradle Steve’s face in return. And Steve smiles back, lets Billy drag him in so their smiles can meet in a kiss.


	7. vineyard meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little scenario where billy works at the country club steve suffers through visiting when his parents are in town

Whenever Steve’s parents are in town long enough to remember they have a son whose existence they probably should care about, they drag him to the country club. He’s finished high school without getting into college. He works a shitty minimum wage job and has no plan for the future.

But for some godforsaken reason, he’s supposed to put on a polo and khakis, make himself ‘look presentable’ and then get shown off to a bunch of his parents’ friends and their offspring like he’s some prized show dog. ‘Look at how shiny his hair is!’ ‘Doesn’t he do well at golf?’ ‘He’s so well-behaved!’ all ring through his head as he stands next to his dad on the course, holding a golf club and wishing he could just viciously throw it into the pond.

He’s good at golf. He’s decently good at a lot of sports, which is probably his singular redeeming feature and the only reason his parents still drag him to the country club. To show off that their son isn’t a complete waste of space, because he looks pretty and performs adequately. It makes Steve want to throw up.

So instead of mingling with the adults or paying any mind to the glances some of the girls are throwing him, he sneaks off via the vineyard. Where he stumbles across Billy Hargrove of all people.

Like, literally stumbles across him. Because he’s lying in the shade and taking a smoke break.

Steve splutters. Billy lets out a hearty “Fucking hell, Harrington?” and then actually checks on Steve, who landed half on Billy’s legs and half in the grass and dirt. He’s fine- his hair is just a mess and he’s flushed and still a bit shocked. Runs a hand through his hair, to get it out of his face.

“What are you doing here?” he asks the same moment that his brain registers Billy’s clothes: Dark slacks and a white linen shirt, clearly the type of clothes the waiters at the in-club restaurant wear.

“What do you think?” Billy snarks back and rolls his eyes at him. “Aren’t you a bit far off the tracks? A princess like you shouldn’t be hiding here.”

He doesn’t sound like he actually wants Steve to leave, though. So Steve makes the executive decision to sit down next to Billy instead, grass stains be damned.

“I hate this place.” is all he says. “Can I bum a cigarette?”

”What’s in it for me?”

”I’ll owe you one?”

Billy silently stares at Steve, his offer clearly not good enough.

”Ugh, I don’t know. Your next rental at Family Video can be on me?”

Billy fishes out a packet of Marlboros from his shirt’s front pocket, takes out one cigarette and a lighter and wordlessly hands it over to Steve. Watches as he puts the filter between his lips, lights it and takes his first drag.

And Steve watches right back, while Billy resumes dragging on his own, lips pink and soft-looking. His eyelashes look long and dark on his freckled cheeks and it hits Steve once again. A thought he’s been unable to wipe from his mind, because goddamn it’s impossible to look away from Billy when he’s this beautiful.


	8. monsters in the fridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a quick s2 canon divergent snippet

What if, instead of shoving Steve to the ground mid-sentence, Billy had heard Steve out? And obviously he’s super suspicious, because monsters? Really? In bumfuck nowhere? But then they show him the demodog in the fridge and the kids start insisting that they need to get to the tunnels and Steve throws him an exasperated glance, all ‘do you see what i have to deal with??’

So Billy grabs an ax from the Byers’ when he sees the bat that Steve has and drives them to the field with the entrance to the tunnels. Maybe he does his usual spiel of teasing and bickering with Steve, but it’s a lot more amicable (and there would be opportunity for one of the kids to yell Murray-style from the back at them to get a room).

They get into the tunnels and up until this point Billy probably still held out hope that this was all an elaborate prank. But it’s not- it’s really, really not and he realizes that when he walks next to Steve Harrington of all people through a dark tunnel filled with spores and vines and they find an enormous hub of monstrous plant matter.

When they finally make it back to the entrance, shoving Dustin up together, side by side and just wanting to save everyone, Billy has a short second where he glances at Steve and has this wild hope for what this might mean for the future. Because he doesn’t think he wants to go back to just teasing Steve about stealing his crown (it never really was about that anyways). 

And then Dustin is up and the horde of demodogs arrives and Billy just instinctively grabs Steve around the waist and lifts him up.

And the pack is gone within moments, has brushed by them without even stopping, so he sets Steve down again. The kids are yelling down from above, asking if they’re fine and they look at each other. Steve grins.

“Did you just pick me up?!” Billy wants to die a little on the inside.

“Shut up.”

“Oh no. No, no, no, I don’t think I can ever let you forget that the big, bad Billy Hargrove tried to save my life by lifting me up.” And Steve’s smile is so infuriatingly bright and genuine, it makes Billy want to punch and kiss him at the same time.


	9. reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> long distance relationship take 2: they're finally together again!!

The airport is loud and crowded and Steve is so excited he feels like he’s either going to throw up or gonna start crying. Either way, he feels like he’s so full of emotion he’s going to burst open.

He last talked to Billy on the phone this morning, after he’d already finished packing up his carry-on luggage. All his other stuff has been packed up and shipped off in boxes that should arrive in a couple days at Billy’s- now their- apartment. So much planning and saving has gone into this. All they’ve had this past year to tide them over in this final stretch were phone calls and letters and care packages. Small packages with mixtapes and sea shells and once a simple, handmade leather armband. Packages with single, lonely looking earstuds found at an antique store Steve got dragged into. A vinyl of an album he knows Billy only has on cassette.

Waiting for his transfer to go through, for Billy to find an apartment off-campus, for everything to fall into place and for the right time to arrive has been agonizing. And now he’s here. almost at the domestic arrivals section and he knows Billy is supposed to be there, but it almost feels too good to be true.

For a moment, when Steve finally steps into the waiting area, he only sees strangers. Just for a moment, he feels dread building in his gut.

That’s when he spots him. From across the room, a head of blonde, curly hair bleached into spun gold from all the sun and seawater. Billy has no business looking so beautiful in jeans and a white shirt with cut off sleeves. All Steve can do is move forward, one step at a time. First hesitant, because _what if they make a scene_ , a voice eerily similar to his mother’s echoes through his head.

And then billy spots him. Beams at him from across the room and any thought Steve had of propriety and not attracting attention are wiped away in the face of an overwhelming need to be with him right this very moment. So he runs.

It feels like an eternity, his luggage cumbersome and heavy. It feels like one second he’s alone and the next, his feet eat up the distance between them.

Billy opens his arms. Steve drops his bags. Slams into him and wraps himself around the solid warmth of Billy’s body, gets crushed in his embrace and just soaks it all up. The smell of billy’s perfume, with hints of salt and sweat underneath. His face buried in Steve’s neck warm and wet with tears that still can’t diminish the brightness of his smile when he lifts his head again. And Steve can’t help but smile right back.


	10. happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes billy can't quite believe how lucky he is

“You scare me sometimes,” is what Billy says when he’s got his face buried in the soft hair at the back of Steve’s neck. His lips brush against Steve’s skin as he speaks, hot breath giving him goosebumps. He’s holding Steve in his lap like he’s a teddy bear or a cuddly blanket.

“What? Why?” Steve wants to turn around and look at Billy, but the arms wrapped around him keep him in place. One is around his belly, the other around his chest where it rests above his heart. “You know I’d never hurt you, right?” He tries to put as much assurance as he can into his voice, even as he feels panic rising in his chest. Has he done something to make Billy think he’s gonna hurt him? 

Before he can completely spiral into a panicked reflection of every single instance he might have made Billy uncomfortable, he feels Billy scoff into his head. He hooks his chin over Steve’s shoulder and nudges his cheek until Steve turns his head to the side to look at him. “I know that, don’t worry.” 

Up close like this, Steve just wants to kiss him. So he does. Just a soft brush against the corner of Billy’s mouth. Their noses brush together. The angle is a bit awkward, but it’s worth to watch the way Billy’s eyes soften. Until they suddenly start to tear up, warm drips against Steve’s shoulder. ‘Oh no,’ he thinks. ‘No, no, no,’ chants in his head while he finally turns in Billy’s lap and wraps his arms around his shoulders. As careful as he can he cradles Billy’s head in his hand when he presses his face into Steve’s throat.

Steve starts softly rocking, back and forth, back and forth, as Billy’s arms wrap around him, shivers running through his body while he silently cries. It feels like half an eternity passes until he’s calmed down, face still hidden.

“Billy, talk to me please,” Steve’s voice wavers. He feels helpless, like there’s this indescribable hurt in Billy sometimes and he doesn’t know how to soothe it. In moments like this, he feels like nothing he can say or do can make it better and that hurts, too.

Thick, silky curls slide between his fingers when Billy finally looks up at him. Gives him this small, watery smile and kisses him all wet and gross with snot and tears. “Geez,” Steve half-heartedly grumbles. He can’t help but smile back when he sees a smirk form on Billy’s lips.

“Sometimes I don’t think I deserve you, is all,” is what Billy finally tells him. Like that’s somehow an explanation. Steve frowns at him, even more confused than before.

“Of course you do?” There’s that familiar frown on Billy’s face, the one he gets when he wants to argue. Not happening. “No, listen to me. I’m with you because I _want_ to be. I want you, because you’re you. And you don’t have to do anything to deserve to be with me.” He holds Billy’s gaze with his, tries to put all his sincerity into it. Rakes his hand carefully through Billy’s curls to keep them out of his face and kisses his forehead. 

Billy silently nods. Wraps his arms just a bit tighter around Steve and closes his eyes when their lips meet.


	11. water & control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a little more poetic. Character study snippets. I recommend reading these out loud 😊

Billy is the crash of ocean waves in the summer.  
Salt water smell and hot sand underneath his feet.  
Deep sapphire blue, reflected in his eyes. Wind tousling his hair.

Steve is the splashing of pool water at night.  
The smell of chlorine, the feeling of cold concrete and slippery tiles.  
Blue so blindingly bright it’s almost neon and its edges are always  
a bit too close for comfort.

***

Control is a slippery slope for Billy. Rage simmers hot under his skin and only barely stays contained on a good day. He’s a powder keg with a fuse whose length he can only watch as it shortens.  
Sometimes he chooses to light it himself.  
There’s pressure on him from all sides. His father. His responsibilities at school, at home, for his grades and his future and Max. He’s desperate to prove that he is still in control,  
even when his dad was able to uproot his entire life just because he wanted to.  
Even when he can’t stop looking at the pretty boy across the school’s parking lot. he will smile and charm and bare his teeth in a mean grin and fake, fake, fake.

He tells himself that he only loses control when he chooses to, and sometimes that’s true.  
Sometimes, it’s a lie he tells himself to hide from the hurt he’s caused.

Control is a tightrope Steve has learned to balance his entire life. It is etched into his body. He holds himself still, wraps himself in icy cold when he feels the first beginnings of anger bubble up.  
There’s never a reward for acting on it-  
he always comes to regret when he loses balance, when he slips and opens his mouth to find just the right words that will hit right in the center of someone else’s very being and light them aflame instead.  
Steve knows his body better than he knows his mind.  
If he can run and jump and hit just the right way, he can hide the shame and insecurity. Wraps it up tight.

That is, until he’s shoved to the ground. Again. And again. By a boy who, for once, just might set him aflame as well.


	12. dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a snippet of steve tentatively exploring gender. might expand on this later on :)

Steve looks at the dress, laid out on top of his bed, for a long time. Just stands a foot away, almost too scared to get closer. It’s pretty. The fabric is this soft, creamy pink. It reminds him of the peach-colored rose petals that litter the side of the road where the wind drags them off the neighbor’s rose bushes. Speckles of small, stylized embroidered stars that look like tiny golden explosions catch the light whenever he moves his head. Slowly, he reaches forward and touches one of them just with the tip of his pinky finger.

Nothing happens. The world doesn’t implode. No one suddenly bursts into his room to ask him what he’s doing.

It still doesn’t feel real, that he’s gotten away with this. With driving all the way to Indy, just so he could roam a fancy fabric store in complete anonymity. Just so he could visit a tailor who believed his flimsy lie of wanting a dress for his ‘twin sister’ who’s just as tall and broad as him. Well, maybe the tailor didn’t believe him. But he still took Steve’s measurements and his money. Took the fabric and dress pattern Steve painstakingly had picked out and sent him a package with the exact thing he envisioned.

It’s like something out of a hazy fantasy has suddenly manifested in his room. Even when he’s perfectly aware of all the careful steps he took to make it a reality, he still didn’t expect the end result to be this mesmerizing.

The only person in the house is Billy, whose entire face lit up when he heard that the dress arrived. He’s waiting downstairs, going through Steve’s parents’ record collection judging from the sound of the start and stop of the record player that filters up from the living room. He finally settles on Sinatra, of all things.

Finally, Steve gathers the courage to take a final step forward and picks up the dress. It’s made of layers of chiffon, flowing and airy, yet heavier in Steve’s hands than it looks. He slips into it so easily, zips it up so quickly, he’s surprised how fast he’s just. wearing it. And it fits like a dream.

Slowly, he turns. And there’s the sound of fabric whispering through air, moving against skin. He’s gotten into the habit of shaving again, just to show off to Billy at the pool at first. He didn’t spend years on the swim team full-body shaving just to have Billy miss out on it, because he happened to move to Hawkins a year after Steve joined the basketball team. It’s just that in the year since Starcourt, he happens to shave sometimes just for the way it makes it impossible for Billy to keep his hands off Steve.

He rarely tells Billy about it beforehand- often, he doesn’t even know himself that he’s gonna do it until he finds himself in the bathroom, bent over the bathtub with a razor and shaving cream. He likes the way his skin looks, afterwards. Smooth and shiny with the lotion he applies. Like he’s shed a layer of himself he didn’t know was there in the first place and underneath there’s a version of him that’s softer, more approachable.

And Billy... Steve still sometimes expects him to get mean about it, even though he never does. He just lets his hands roam over Steve’s arms and chest, along his sides down to his hips and over his thighs. Again and again, until there’s goosebumps on Steve’s flushed skin. The surprise is always worth it.

This is different. Or, maybe not that different, just a step further from the airy blouses Steve would sometimes sneak from his mom’s closet. A bit more than getting highlights in increasingly long hair that he doesn’t feel like cutting.

He turns again, relishing in the movement and feeling of the fabric clinging to his skin and stops right in front of his mirror. A quiet “Oh” leaves his mouth.

Steve’s figure is by no means frail. With the way the arms of the dress flow and soften his broadness, the way it puffs out and only cinches around his wrists and waist and throat, it mellows him out, though. The color, contrasted by the golden brown of his hair and the splashes of moles peeking through, makes him look delicate. He doesn’t always like when Billy calls him pretty, because it feels like it’s more mocking than nice on days when the only time he looks into a mirror is to style his hair. But right now, he desperately wants Billy to look at him and say he’s pretty. Because this time, he knows it’ll be true.

There’s no shoes or socks to go along with the dress. No accessories he picked out, out of fear that it would arrive and he’d look like a freak in it. He feels a blush rising on his cheeks in excitement as he quietly takes the stairs, down to where he can see Billy lean against the back of the sofa in the living room. He’s sipping on a beer and staring out of the window towards the pool where evening light reflected on the water throws prisms of light over the backyard.

Billy might not want to admit it, but Steve’s noticed his growing obsession with mafia movies whenever he asks Steve to bring one from work. The thought of Billy, jeans-wearing, leather jacket-clad metalhead imagining himself as some grand mafioso is deeply amusing and endearing to Steve. For a moment, he just stands and watches. Waits, until he really, truly feels ready.

“Hey Billy,” he says and watches Billy’s head turn around and his eyes widen.

Steve feels like he’s floating as his feet carry him closer towards Billy, who finally moves just in time to put his bottle down so he can step forward and grab Steve at the waist. “Holy shit, Stevie,” he says against Steve’s lips. Gives him a kiss so careful it’s almost chaste and then makes a grab for his hands. Steve’s heart is beating so hard in his chest from the sheer relief at Billy’s reaction that it takes a second to register that they’re swaying. 

“Billy Hargrove,” he mock-gasps. “Are we dancing? Is this what it takes to get you to dance with me?” Sure, it can barely be considered more than middle school dance-level of stepping back and forth, but still. This isn’t wildly jumping up and down. This isn’t heavily grinding against each other. The sun is just starting to go down and the living room is set in golden evening glow while goddamn Sinatra croons in the background and Steve’s going to vibrate out of his skin and this dress in delight.


	13. babysitter!Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hc for a nurturing boi leaving a lasting impression on our favorite rat king~

Steve wouldn't actually babysit the party, but!! maybe there should still be babysitter!Steve, it’s just initially more of a spontaneous situation where when he and Nancy are still dating go on study dates twice a week and Karen asks them if they can keep an eye on Holly. And Nancy likes Holly, but she also doesn’t feel much like the nurturing type? Like, she’s the bossy older sister to Mike, but taking care of Holly really isn’t her idea of fun. Luckily, Steve turns out to be stellar with her.

And after the breakup, Nancy makes it maybe two months through spending at least an evening a week taking care of Holly while her mom goes to… idk, her evening off with her friends? Date nights with Ted? And Nancy haates it. After a while Karen feels bad about making Nancy look after Holly and they decide to ask Steve if he’d be willing to babysit in a more official manner. He feels kinda awkward for saying yes, especially when he realizes that he might see Nancy go on a date with Jonathan :/ 

But he _likes_ looking after Holly. She’s super easy to figure out and he already knows how to play with her and what her routine is. It’s fun and a good distraction from how much he’s failing at school and how Billy is still owning his ass at basketball. It’s nice to have something familiar to do, with a kid like Holly who doesn’t have any expectations of Steve except to pay attention to her.

The only other person who demands as much attention from Steve is Billy. And he’s desperately trying to ignore how sometimes, just sometimes, there’s a spark of something exciting and pleased underneath the irritation he feels.

So, one day he comes over to the Wheelers right around the time the party has finished up their most recent campaign. Mike is supposed to sleep over at Lucas’ place and they live close enough together that they can ride there on their bikes, Will and Nancy have already been picked up by Jonathan. Dustin is only there for a short time, because he wants to chat a little with Steve, but can’t stay much longer before his mom gets worried. And Steve gets inside and pretty much immediately gets handed Holly by Karen, who doesn’t want to be late to the dinner reservation for her and ted.

Steve stands in the hallway with Holly on his hip (she’s getting a bit too big for it, but she loves being picked up) and spots Max on the couch. ready to go, except her ride isn’t there yet. Steve smiles at her. Asks her when Billy is supposed to pick her up. She shrugs, tells him a bit mulishly that he’s supposed to be there soon. Steve’s just about to offer her to call home or ask her if she wants something to drink when the doorbell rings.

And billy, on the other side of the door, kinda expected Karen Wheeler to open it. Got himself a bit prettied up, maybe got a bit late just so he could peacock in front of her. Except the door opens and there’s Steve Harrington. He’s in this thick, cream colored knit sweater that makes his eyes and hair look like molten chocolate in contrast. And there’s Holly Wheeler on his hip, clearly perfectly content with one hand holding onto the sweater, the other in her mouth, curious eyes on Billy.

It’s not like he’s completely in denial about thinking Steve is hot. Usually, it just pisses him off. Makes him want to tease and taunt Steve. Makes him want to sock him in his pretty face. The way Steve looks right now makes something soft and goey form in his belly. Sickly sweet and fond.

Meanwhile, Steve comes face to face with a Billy Hargrove who, for once, doesn’t sneer at him. Who actually acts like a normal fucking person! He’s being weirdly polite and quiet, even if he doesn’t apologize for being late and can’t stop staring at Steve. At least it’s not his usual ‘ten seconds away from wanting to hit Steve’-look. He seems thoughtful, like he can’t quite recognize who he sees in front of him. And to Steve’s surprise, it wakes something in him. Something small and warm and pleasant unfurls in his chest. Makes him wish he could just look at this Billy a little bit longer, to find out where it leads them.


	14. together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is sleepy and Billy is cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on posting upcoming shorter works separately, so have a cuddle session as a way to close off this collection😊

They’re at the edge of town near the quarry, high up where Steve’s car radio picks up the one station that runs an audio drama every Tuesday night that Billy is obsessed with.

They’ve been driving up into the hills all summer. Steve picks Billy up after work, they get takeout and spend half the night listening to tapes and radio stations you can’t pick up in town. Sometimes, they smoke up in Steve’s backseat and end up a mess of limbs and laughter. And then they drive back down, to their shitty, cozy apartment that feels more like home every day.

But summer is over and it’s left jewel toned trees and autumn fruits as a goodbye-gift. Night falls over the hills before they even reach the top and Steve has started digging out his favorite green sweater and dark blue fleece blanket from the back of the closet. When he unfolds it, it looks like he brought a piece of the night sky.

“Do you ever want to leave Hawkins?” he asks Billy that evening. Wrapped up in his blanket, even when the inside of the car gets kinda chilly, he feels toasty and safe from the cold. Floats on the warmth and a belly full of food while he leans back against the door and watches Billy across the seat. Watches for minute changes in expression when he responds with a shrug. He doesn’t seem upset.

Billy could leave, is the thing. He’s free, from school, from his dad, from any obligations he might have. He could quit his job at the local mechanic easily, get himself a car, pack his belongings and drive off. And sure, there’s Steve. Who wants Billy in his space all the time, who feels more with each day that this might be it. But that doesn’t mean Billy feels the same way.

“I don’t wanna leave without you,” is what Billy surprises him with instead. 

“Oh,” Steve says, voice soft. 

“We’re staying here ‘till the brats are off to college, right?” Steve nods, too tired to properly process the goey, molten heat that forms in his chest. “Well, I’m staying right here with you.” He kinda wants to cry a little, which is obviously stupid when he’s this happy. 

Sometimes, Steve feels like Billy’s eyes can look right into him. And he sees all his insecurities and fears, even the ones he can’t put into words. Like wanting to stay bit longer, so he can watch over this band of kids he still wants to protect. Even when the only protection they need nowadays is from getting caught drinking beer. That he’s been a little scared of Billy leaving without him.

Steve sighs. Smiles, even if it’s a little watery. At Billy, in his way too flimsy shirt and jacket, now that it’s getting colder. And as if on cue, Billy grins back. “You gonna warm me up? I’m freezing my balls of here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve lifts just the corner in invitation, too lazy to do much else. With a practiced, fluid motion, Billy leans down and snatches the blanket from Steve’s grip. Tugs it just wide enough open so he can slip underneath. He’s a comforting weight on top, even if his smirk promises trouble. 

A cold pair of hands suddenly runs underneath Steve’s sweater, makes him grunt in protest at the shock. Billy catches hold of him when he bucks up a little, rides out the motion and then buries his equally cold nose against the crook of Steve’s neck.

“Geez, warn a guy,” Steve halfheartedly complains, even if one of his hands automatically lands in Billy’s hair and the other arm wraps around his waist. On the radio, a now familiar intro starts playing and Billy shushes him. “I don’t wanna miss the beginning.”

While the radio host introduces this week’s episode of a dark, tension packed continuation of what Steve secretly has dubbed ‘the Godfather knock-off’, Billy settles further against him. Already, he’s starting to warm up.


End file.
